Coudenberg Palace in Brussels again accessible with ‘Under-Ground’ tour

The remains of the former Coudenberg Palace under Place Royale in Brussels are once again accessible to the general public. On the new ‘Under-Ground’ tour, using an audio guide, visitors can rediscover the history of the site on their own.

From the 12th to the 18th century, Brussels had an imposing palace where Europe's medieval nobility loved to reside. The court was often the scene of gigantic feasts and circus performances. In 1731, a fire struck the majestic palace, after which it lay in ruins for forty years. Only the walls of the court chapel and of the ‘Magna Aula’, the cellars and the foundations remained standing.

In 1776, the ruins of the former Coudenberg Palace had to make way for the construction of the classicist Place Royale, designed to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the reign of the then governor of the Southern Netherlands, Charles of Lorraine.

It was only many years later, at the beginning of the 20th century, that interest in the hidden history of the palace flared up again. Belgian archivist and historian Alphonse Wauters was one of the main driving forces of the rediscovery of the Coudenberg Palace. Large-scale excavations began in the 1980s.

“This tour offers visitors the unique opportunity to experience the story of the rediscovery of the lost palace,” said Annelies Stalpaert, communications manager of the Coudenberg Palace. The Under-Ground tour should bring the hidden history back to Brussels residents, Belgians and Europeans. It includes 3D reconstructions of the palace, photos and old VRT/RTBF reports on the excavation works from the 1980s onwards.

During the tour, visitors will be shown around the “hidden city”. In this way, the Coudenberg Palace aims to paint an authentic picture of what life was like in and around it.

The Under-Ground tour is included in the museum entrance fee. Visitors can also buy a duo ticket for the Coudenberg Palace and the BELvue museum.

^{The ‘Under-Ground’ tour at the Coudenberg Palace under Place Royale in Brussels © BELGA PHOTO TIMON RAMBOER & © BELGA VIDEO TIMON RAMBOER}